Winter Skywatching, Skyline Drive

It wasn't really my plan to go to Skyline Drive today, but my errands took me to Front Royal. Skyline Drive starts there and winds its way south through Shenandoah National Park. Sometimes I find it irresistible.

I knew that they had snow up there, even though we had only gotten a dusting of it in the valley. I told myself that maybe I would just go up and view a few overlooks, and then turn around and go home.

In the winter, it is hard to predict what it will be like in the mountains. The climate there is colder and sometimes foggy. By the time I reached Range View Overlook, I knew that the skies held enough drama to make photography interesting. I decided to drive south to Thornton Gap and come home through Luray.

I have driven the north section of the drive so many times that I know which overlooks offer the best views. I usually stop at Pass Mountain Overlook before reaching the exit at Thornton Gap. The sun was low in the sky when I got there.

Ha, the sun coming through the clouds looks like the face of a jack-o’-lantern!